


oil of every pearl's un-insides.

by kaibaboy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Mermaid Magic™, Merman Demyx, and axel protecting him at all costs, and roxas being sassy and saix being awkward, idk what else to tag this it's just mermaid demyx bein cute learning abt the world, just b patient heathens, lapslock, that's literally it - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22523008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaibaboy/pseuds/kaibaboy
Summary: axel is one of the best journalists in all of radiant garden, which unfortunately means he sometimes gets stuck covering stories he really doesn't want to. a disastrous oil spill leaves the environmentally-focused community completely scandalized, and though he doesn't care much about the situation, axel is deemed the man for the job, and he'll be damned if he won't live up to that expectation. while doing his research, he meets demyx, an excitable mermaid who's a bit too curious about the human world -- to the point of being exiled by his own people, just to experience it. axel, with the help of his roommates, roxas and saix, help demyx to get by in this brand new world, taking things one day at a time until they can figure out an actual plan to get the merman either on his feet, or back into the water.axel never expected to fall in love with the fish boy along the way.
Relationships: Axel/Demyx (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi i'm back with more purely self indulgent trash
> 
> this will be 3/4 chapters, and i already have them planned out and outlined, so hopefully i can actually ,,,, finish this fjvfvhdvfdfvfjhb. cheer me on pls
> 
> anyway i just wanted to write something soft and cute and like. mermaids lol 
> 
> hope u like it!! 
> 
> any mistakes will be fixed along the way, as per usual.

if left to his own devices, axel wouldn’t have visited the coast nearly as often. he enjoys a good swim just as much as the next guy, but hanging around by the water just isn’t necessarily his _thing;_ the ocean’s boundlessness leaves far too much to the imagination, and brings excessive awareness to the fact that nobody really knows what’s down there, lurking in the darkest parts of the sea, hiding away from human eyes. as fascinating as it is, he doesn’t like to dwell on it for too long; his mind gets lost between the endless avenues of possibilities, none of which provide any comforting closure about one of the world’s biggest mysteries. yet, as complex as he may be in other ways, in most instances of being, axel is a simple man; if he doesn’t like thinking about something, he just _doesn’t._

his boss apparently has other plans for him, though. being a journalist has its perks, though some may find it debatable whether or not said perks outweigh the drawbacks. axel is totally fine with his job, most days — hell, he was one of the _lucky ones_ to find employment fresh out of college, so there isn’t a whole lot of complaining he can justifiably do. he doesn’t really see himself spending the rest of his life there at all, but it’s perfect for where he is, now; it pays decently, it keeps him busy with something he actually likes to do, and the environment is, for the most part, incredibly relaxed. what’s to be peeved about, really?

small things. small, incredibly annoying things, like when he gets assigned a story he’d rather not take on. he’s normally able to come up with his own stories and publish them under his boss’ approval, but there are times when something happens in the city and there’s an unspoken agreement that they should probably cover it. those are the times where things get sticky, and someone gets stuck researching and writing a story they’re not incredibly passionate about. axel’s pretty good at avoiding the pitch of the unwanted gauntlet, but not this time. ansem had enthusiastically claimed he saw axel as the _perfect man for the job,_ which, in colloquial terms, means he _has_ to do it. 

it’s really not as bad as it could have been. he only has to go down to the coast and examine the aftermath of a recent oil spill, which civilians had naturally taken upon themselves to start cleaning up. one thing about radiant garden was the emphasis on looking after the environment and keeping their land beautiful and clean, so the fact that something like this had even happened left the majority of the community in utter shock. but given the rise in population and large corporations, axel really hadn’t been all that surprised when the news broke — and the resulting strikes and general discourse between civilians and corporations took the media by storm, and had been all anyone had heard about for weeks on end. 

they’d printed a few entirely factual stories concerning the disaster already, but what people really wanted was an in-depth and well-researched opinion to adopt. as one of the publication’s most esteemed column authors, of course ansem saw axel as the only candidate for the assignment. he really should have seen it coming. but _gods,_ does he not want to do it. 

saix accompanies him to collect data a few times a week, but it’s ultimately up to him to get through the assignment on his own. it’s a massive block, a four-page spread, and while he’d done that much _and more_ several times throughout his career, those had all been incidents he particularly cared about. writing about something he doesn’t care much about is like slow torture, and as much as his roommates laugh at him for groaning through his work while at home, he’s _genuinely_ struggling. 

“going down to the beach again?” asks roxas, kicking off his shoes by the door. axel glances up to meet his gaze immediately, surprised to hear the younger male’s voice at this time of day. 

“you’re back early,” he notes aloud, wrapping his scarf loosely around his collarbone, “and yeah, you know it. maybe screwing around out there for an hour or two will help me come up with something for this article.” 

the blonde nods, throwing his backpack down on the dining table. “yeah, i got out of school early. there’s like a big sports game or something.”

axel snorts. “sports? you don’t even know what sport it is?”

“no,” roxas answers, scrunching his nose, “and i don’t care, either. hayner, pence, and olette went to the game, but i’m gonna hang out here and do my homework or something.”

the taller male raises an eyebrow, though those words are far from shocking, coming from his best friend. “ah, our roxas, ever the social butterfly.”

“shut up,” roxas orders, but he’s laughing. “go do your work. did saix come home with you?”

slipping into his jacket and nearing the entryway, axel shakes his head in response, before annexing words. “nah, he’s still at the office. tell him where i went if he asks when he gets back, okay? you know he loves to mom me.”

“you mean like you mom _me?_ ”

rolling his eyes, the redhead only scoffs. “go do your homework, young man,” retorts axel, wagging a comically stern finger before heading out the front door. 

♡

the beach is the same as it always is, for the most part. eerily clear, as it’s blocked off until the cleanup efforts are complete, though axel is able to pass through because of his status as a journalist. he figures the crew had gone home by now, however; the place really is like a ghost town. the calm rocking of the water provides the only escape from dead silence, and axel sighs, looking out at the listless horizon, feeling a strange combination of peace and unease. the murky blotches of the remaining oil have been contained to one spot near the rocky coast, now, leaving the majority of the water clean, as far as the eye could see. considering how bad things had been at the start of the month, when the accident occurred, axel can’t deny the pinch of gratitude that the relief team had been working so hard to get things in order. he has no idea what the process is actually meant to be like, but marluxia had explained it at one point or another. too bad he hadn’t really been listening all that well. 

finding a smooth enough rock to sit on (it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but he doesn’t really want pants full of sand, either, so he’ll take what he can get), axel stares out at the ocean for a while, leisurely fishing out his phone from his jacket pocket to jot down any ideas that approach him. 

it doesn’t take him long to notice something particularly … bizarre. when he looks up from his phone, silently complaining about having to type on such a tiny keyboard, he notices that he’s _surrounded_ by seashells — about a dozen pearly and iridescent specimens arranged at the base of his rock in a charming spiral pattern. how on earth someone had managed to leave those there without him noticing is unimaginable; he’s no assassin or anything, but axel likes to think his reflexes and senses are better than what it would take for him to have been left oblivious to someone sneaking so close to him. and he knows they weren’t there when he first sat here, as he definitely would have noted them, or perhaps even chosen a different resting place, not wanting to disturb whatever pattern someone had going on, here. or is it an animal? 

looking up and around, he thinks he’s still alone, at first. at last, his eyes trail toward the water, and he sees someone there — a young figure, far out enough to be half-submerged in the ocean, facing away from him, looking busy with something. axel wonders if he knows he’s not supposed to be out here; that if anyone from the cleanup team or the authorities saw him, they’d surely have a fit. but he’s never been one to snitch, even if he wonders how someone could be brave enough to get into the water after the disaster. sure, it _looks_ clean, but it hadn’t yet been declared as safe to even dip a toe in, let alone full on swim. 

when the mysterious young man turns around, axel can see there’s a seashell in his hands, one very similar to the gorgeous array currently surrounding him. he’d never seen shells like that before, even if he doesn’t come here often. there’s something almost _other-wordly_ about them, like they’re simply too enchanting to be found anywhere near here. 

the male starts to swim near to the shore again, before his eyes raise and he catches axel’s gaze. he’s still considerably far away, but axel can see the panic in his stature, how utterly frozen he looks. it just confuses him more, but he doesn’t stop looking at the other man, and the other man doesn’t stop looking at him. 

placing his phone in his pocket, axel nears the shoreline. he comes slowly, maintaining eye contact, trying to let the other know he’s not here to tell him to go home or to yell at him for being on the premises, or otherwise be a killjoy with ill-intent. 

“hey,” he starts, crouching down and resting crossed arms on his knees, “are you the one who left all those shells around me?”

with wide eyes, the other nods. axel can see him clearly now; dark blonde hair, styled into an interesting mullet-mohawk hybrid, with the sides cut incredibly short. wet fringe clings to his face, framing aquamarine eyes, and pearly pink lips are parted slightly, though words have yet to escape them. he’s not wearing a shirt, and his build is thin but somewhat sculpted, enough for subtle muscle to peek through in the right places. the water obscures him from the stomach down, but axel can see enough of him to be able to tell that he’s awfully cute. and that’s really what matters. 

the remaining shell in the other man’s hands glistens prettily in the afternoon sun, the seamless gradient of pink to turquoise matching the rest of the shells the other had brought to the shore. shyly, he extends his hands and offers it to axel, and the redhead can’t help but smile. 

“you know … i’ve never seen shells like these before. where did you find them?”

the blonde looks shaken up again, like he wants to speak, but just can’t find the words. taking a deep breath, he averts his gaze, a soft voice tumbling past his lips at long last. “i … brought them from my home. i brought one for you every day, for the past week and a half, because i wanted to talk to you. but i chickened out every time …”

“your home?” axel asks curiously, wondering if the male is from another country, or something of the sort. but he’s a bit too distracted by how adorable the notion of the other being too shy to approach him is, seemingly watching him for days without being brave enough to approach him. axel had been told he’s intimidating before, but he never figured it was _that_ bad. “why didn’t you approach me? am i scary?”

the stranger’s eyes widen impossibly more, and he smiles a little, shrugging his shoulders. “not really. it’s just … i’ve never talked to a human before.”

now it’s axel’s turn to be shocked. what does he mean, a _human?_ as if to imply that he himself is something other than … 

perhaps able to sense axel’s confusion, the blonde looks down, noticing now that he’s still partially hidden by the water. he looks up at axel before smiling once more, a laugh even escaping him as he notices what predicament he’s gotten himself into. “that’s right … we look pretty similar, from this angle. i was wondering why you weren’t more surprised to see me … here, let me show you.” 

before the redhead can ask another question, the other male swims backward, allowing himself a little more depth, before diving under the water. and surely enough, there is _definitely_ something different about him; the magnificent tail that splashes out from beneath the waves proves that much. a stunning blue hue, with the gorgeous white fin and pale yellow accents about it, the smooth scales catch the light and there’s no mistaking what he’s seeing, even if it’s impossible to believe. 

the blonde does a few flashy tricks, seemingly having a good time if his joyful laughter is anything to go by. and while he remains in complete shock and disbelief, axel finds it hard to resist smiling, as if the other’s joy is contagious. 

when he stills and comes back to the edge of the water, tail much more visible in the more shallow end while the male lays in the sand, axel sits down in front of him, no longer worried about sand getting into his clothes. “i don’t believe this,” he says, running a hand through his hair, “you’re a mermaid.”

“technically the gendered term is mer _man_ , in my case, but i’m not very picky.” he giggles, before extending his hand, offering the shell once more. axel realizes now that his fingers are webbed. 

nevertheless, he takes the shell. “thank you,” he wheezes, placing it gently into his pocket, where it should be safe. “suddenly, what you said about bringing those shells from your home makes a lot of sense.”

the merman nods, resting his chin on his folded arms. 

“then … if you’ve got that tail, how did you get these up to where i was sitting?”

“i’ve got legs, too,” he explains as though it’s the simplest thing in the world, “my kind are very diverse. some of us have humans in our bloodline, which gives us a gene that allows us to sprout legs, for whatever reason. obviously we don’t use them much underwater …” he bites his lip, gaze trailing off for a moment. “going to the surface is … a very bad thing, in our society.”

“but you’re here,” axel points out.

another nod, and a soft sigh. “i kind of … left home. i’d been coming here secretly for about a week and a half, like i said. but it’s a long way from the middle of the ocean, i’m sure you can imagine. eventually, people started noticing i was gone, so … i’m not exactly welcome back there, as of right now.” 

axel hums, listening intently to the other’s words. “why leave? i mean, i can’t imagine where you’re from is very different from here. sure it’s underwater, but you’ve got, like, cities and stuff, right? and society, like you said. it’s pretty much the same up here, you aren’t missing much.”

“no, you don’t understand!” the other claims, sitting up and startling axel for a moment, “merfolk _despise_ humans, even if we’re so similar. a long, long time ago, according to our history, we used to admire your kind. we were very welcoming toward them, and our species even mixed at one point. but then, your ancestors began to capture mine, and subject them to all types of terrors, and experiments … so we retreated back to the deepest parts of the ocean, where you could never find us. since then, humans have not been welcome in our world. my people greatly fear yours.”

as fantastical as the story sounds, axel, once again, does not find himself all that surprised. humans have quite a nefarious history, especially when it comes to interacting with _each other,_ let alone other species. “that still doesn’t explain why _you_ came here, though.”

the merman sighs, a dull flush appearing across his cheeks. “this may sound silly … but i’ve always wanted to experience the human world for myself. i’m tired of hearing about how scary and dangerous it is … i’ve heard and seen that humans have done so many amazing things. i don’t believe that all of you are bad. i can’t believe that, i mean … some merfolk are bad, but that doesn’t mean all of us are. i just want to see what it’s like. i thought if i didn’t like it, i could always go home, but …”

“but they told you not to come back … because they’re afraid of what you might learn here. right?”

the blonde nods, sighing. “right.”

“well, hey … i’ve got some extra space at my place, and … you seem like a decent enough guy. or … _merguy_ . plus, as right as you are about all humans not being bad, there are some that _really_ are, and i’d hate for something to happen to you because you don’t know what you’re doing out here, so. what i’m saying is, if you want to stay with me for a while, until we figure out a way to get you settled in here, or even get you back home, if you want, that’s totally okay.”

seemingly in total disbelief, the merman’s face lights up, eyes of aquamarine rivaling the stunning hues of both the sky and the ocean. “really? you’d be alright with that?”

axel blows air out of his nose, green eyes trailing off with slight embarrassment. “sure, i mean — somebody’s gotta help you out, right? i’m axel, by the way. and this is radiant garden.”

“wow …” the stunned expression remains for a few moments, before the widest grin axel had ever seen spreads across the merman’s soft features. “axel! what an awesome name! it’s so nice to meet you!” he just sits there, smiling, for a moment, before something appears to click in his head. “oh, right! i’m demyx!”

“it’s nice to meet you, too, demyx. it’s the last thing i was expecting, but it’s nice, nonetheless.” the redhead laughs, slowly getting to his feet, instinctually offering the other a hand, before he realizes he’s still got a tail. “oh. uh.”

“ah,” demyx breathes, sitting up once more. “one sec,” he prefaces, before shimmying his way completely out of the water. then, with a glowing flash of light radiating in his lap, his tail appears to split into two, scaling down some until left where the magnificent appendage had once been rests a pair of smooth, pale legs. 

axel stares in awe for a moment, still wondering in the back of his mind if he’d fallen asleep on the beach and this is some kind of strange dream resulting from the uv rays beating down on his unconscious body. 

but as demyx reaches up and takes his hand, his fingers no longer webbed, he thinks this is as real as it can get. 

he helps the other to his feet, watching him struggle to balance for a moment, before realizing he is, indeed, completely naked, only wearing the decorative shell necklace brushing against his collarbone. 

axel wheezes, quickly taking off his jacket and handing it to demyx after emptying his pockets, ignoring how much his own face is burning. “here — tie this around your waist. humans don’t, uh. they don’t really like it when someone walks around naked. it’s kind of illegal, actually.”

“oh,” the blonde responds with an innocent blink, nodding as he does as instructed. “i should probably tell you, i’m not all that great at walking. i don’t exactly get a lot of practice.”

“right,” axel answers, relieved that demyx’s unspeakables are covered, now, “that’s okay, we can work on that later, i guess. for now i can just carry you back to my house, that’s no problem.”

♡

by the time he arrives home, axel had been stared at by so many people for carrying a half-naked man in his arms that roxas and saix’s confused and mildly judging stares fail to faze him. he bursts through the front door, demyx clinging to him comfortably as he removes his own shoes and storms right past the kitchen where saix is making dinner and roxas is watching a movie on his laptop. 

“uh, axel?” roxas starts, pausing his film and following the taller male into the living room, “... whatcha got there?”

green eyes roll as the redhead turns to look at his friend. “i’ll explain in a minute. can you get one of the beach towels and lay it out on the couch, please? he’s wet.”

roxas is still visibly confused, but he agrees, heading up the stairs. just then, saix comes out of the kitchen, spatula still in hand. 

“roxas told me you went to the beach to do work on your assignment. not that you’d be bringing home a man.”

blowing raspberries, axel groans exasperatedly. “look, it’s not what you’re thinking. just wait a minute, okay? i gotta get him situated first, then i’ll explain everything.”

the youngest returns with the requested towel, lying it out on the couch as axel had asked. carefully, axel sets demyx, who had been notably silent this entire time, onto the towel to give both of them a chance to rest, before turning to his puzzled roommates, trying to gather words that won’t make him sound absolutely insane. 

“alright, so. i went to the beach to work on my article, like i said i would, and discovered this guy in the ocean. long story short, his name is demyx, he’s a mermaid, and he needs a place to stay.”

“a _mermaid?_ ” roxas wheezes in disbelief, eyes immediately flashing to demyx’s legs, “uh, don’t those usually have tails?”

“that, and they don’t exist,” saix reminds him. 

“they do too exist,” demyx suddenly says, leaning back on the couch, “i would know, because i am one. and i _do_ have a tail! just not right now.”

saix and roxas exchange glances, before looking at demyx, and then axel. 

“this is crazy,” saix finally speaks up, eyes narrowed, “someone just tells you they’re a mermaid, and you believe them?”

“it’s not like that,” axel states, “i _saw_ his tail, okay? and then he did some crazy magic stuff and now he’s got legs. apparently some mermaids have like human genes or whatever because their species mixed a long time ago, and — listen, it’s a lot to explain, and he could do it better than i can. can’t you change back, demyx? show them your tail?”

“well, i need to be in some water, first,” the blonde answers meekly, a flush gradually spreading along his cheeks, again, “i need to keep my tail wet.”

“right,” axel sighs, immediately going toward the stairs. 

“where are you going?” roxas calls after him, and saix only sighs in irritation before returning to the kitchen.

“i’m going to fill up the bathtub, duh. since you guys obviously don’t believe me.” 

indeed, moments later, roxas hears the faucet running. the blonde turns back to the other blonde on the couch, who looks extremely uncomfortable now. axel seems pretty sure about this, but there’s an urge in roxas that still wants to see it before believing that there’s a mermaid in their house.

a few moments pass, and axel comes back downstairs to get demyx, before disappearing to the second floor again. 

“can the guy not _walk?_ ” roxas shouts after him, and he hears axel murmuring something to the alleged fish boy before responding. 

“he’s not good at walking. leave him alone.”

about ten minutes go by before axel’s voice travels down the stairs again, reaching both roxas and saix, who are in the kitchen. 

“alright, you two! get up here!”

reluctantly, the addressed obey axel’s demand, climbing the staircase with leisure, leading them right into the master bathroom. and indeed, as they live and breathe, the boy sitting in the tub has a massive tail, the fin of which doesn’t even fit in the tub, and twitches slightly as he moves it back and forth. roxas’ jaw drops, and saix’s eyes widen, both of them utterly speechless as they take in the image before them. axel, meanwhile, sits smugly by the tub’s side. 

“see? told ya.”

“i don’t —” roxas starts, unable to find the words before he’s approaching the side of the tub, “he’s actually — huh?” his fingers reach out, but he immediately stops himself, wondering if it would be rude.

“you can touch it, if you want,” demyx offers, smiling a little as he watches the younger boy’s awed expression. roxas accepts the invitation, running his fingers along the scales, which feel like nothing he’s ever touched before. a little slimy, but not in an unpleasant way, with a texture that’s entirely smooth, the scales so small that they cause no abrasions in their pattern. 

“it’s real,” he says softly, causing both demyx and axel to laugh. saix still stands by the door, and demyx catches his eye. 

“you can touch, too, if you want.”

“ … no thank you,” saix responds calmly, though his eyes are still rather wide. “i’ll take roxas’ word for it.”

“only axel would bring a fucking mermaid into our house,” the teen scoffs, and axel’s eyes narrow at him. 

“you watch your goddamn mouth, young man,” he orders, though clearly in jest, “look, he doesn’t have anywhere to go, alright? we’ve got extra space here. he can sleep in my room, and i’ll handle teaching him about human stuff. you guys don’t even have to worry about it.”

“are you kidding? we’re just as human as you are. we can help out, too.” roxas insists, and saix only shrugs as axel looks up at him. 

“just as long as he doesn’t cause us any problems. i guess i can’t expect him to get a job or go to school, since he’s … not human. but i suppose we can help him figure out what to do around here.” saix blinks, offering demyx a glance, “why exactly did you come here?”

it took demyx a moment to explain his motivations, a similar way in which he explained them to axel. roxas, and even saix, listens intently as the merman sits in the tub, talking away about merfolk and their philosophies regarding humans. meanwhile, axel sits on the floor, cradling the jacket that had been around demyx’s waist, thinking about what exactly they’re going to do, and how it’s going to work. 

he knows that he wants to help demyx, but he’s not entirely sure if he can. teaching someone essentially how to be human is quite a massive responsibility — but it wouldn’t have felt right to leave the merman there, susceptible to someone who might perhaps be as awful as his people expect humans to be. he’d only just met the man, but it hurts to think of anything happening to him. 

evening falls calmly over the house, and the four of them have dinner together. roxas teaches demyx how to use silverware, and it turns out it was demyx’s first time eating something other than fish, or sea vegetation. he quite liked beef and pasta. 

roxas also showed demyx a few of his favourite movies, and before any of them knew it, it was nearing bedtime. axel and saix still have work in the morning, and roxas has school. so they retreat to their bedrooms, bidding each other goodnight. 

“you can have my bed, until i can get another one in here. i can just sleep on the couch, or something.” 

“oh, no, i can’t take your bed,” demyx insists, smiling softly, “i should be the one to sleep somewhere else. or, you know … we can just share it. it looks like we’d both be able to fit.”

axel looks at demyx, and then the bed, and then back at the blonde. “you know, you’re right. okay, yeah, we can share it. i’m not used to sharing, though, so sorry if i roll over you during the night.”

demyx laughs, looking snug in the pajamas axel had lent him. “i think i’ll be okay. i’m not used to sleeping with legs, so it’ll be a new experience for both of us.”

the redhead smiles fondly, settling into bed at the same time the other crawls curiously onto the mattress. he seems pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it is, and after a few moments, both of them are nestled safely under the covers, axel having turned the light out so that only the dim moonlight shines through the slightly open curtains. 

silence settles over them, axel turned onto his side and demyx lying still on his back. the taller man starts to drift in and out of consciousness, his thoughts dying down and lying to rest in his mind, before he hears a whisper of his name, and turns over to see demyx staring at him. 

“hm? what’s wrong?”

“oh, nothing … i guess i’m just having trouble sleeping.”

“mm, makes sense,” axel yawns, “it’s a new environment, and all.” 

“what do you do, by the way?”

“hmm?”

“saix mentioned you’re working on an article, or something? is that why you kept coming to the beach?”

“yeah,” axel confirms, smiling tiredly, “i’m a journalist. i work for a publication company. basically i get paid to research and write my opinion about what i find.”

“really?” demyx wonders, sitting up and leaning on his hand, “i guess i never thought of it like that. you must be a really good writer.”

the human chuckles, looking at demyx with soft eyes. “do they have journalism in your world?”

demyx nods eagerly. “of course! though it’s a little different, i think. but i was never really interested in all that stuff.”

“what are you interested in?”

blue eyes blink in surprise, as though he hadn’t been expecting axel to ask that. “music. i play a few different instruments, but mostly guitar. my dream was to be a musician, and i was really close to it. my people really love music.”

“is that so?” axel hums, curling up under the covers, “well, music is pretty popular among humans, too, for the most part. you don’t have to give up your dream.”

the blonde is quiet for a while, his eyes mild in the dark as he looks at the ceiling. no one had ever told him anything like that before, especially not after he started expressing interest in traveling to the human world. the fact that axel seems to believe in him so much, in his ability to make it here, to accomplish his goals and even his dreams … it truly makes him feel like he can do anything. how lucky had he gotten, to stumble across such a kind human — even if he knew there was something special about him, the first day he saw him at the beach. 

“thanks, axel.” demyx whispers, though he doesn’t get a response. leaning up and over, he notices the redheaded man has fallen asleep. 

giggling, demyx turns onto his side, lying still and waiting to be ushered into dreams of his own. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took way longer than i was expecting to get out but u know WHAT ... it's here fhjvfhfhj 
> 
> i won't talk too much and just get right into it!! thank u for reading!! ♡

the treacherous blaring of his phone alarm wakes axel at 6am sharp; about an hour before he typically rises for work. he doesn’t have to be in until 8:30, but the night before, he figured he should allow himself the extra time to prepare their new housemate to be alone in a foreign environment for a while, considering he, saix, and roxas have daily commitments that can’t exactly be paused just for the merman’s comfort. even still, the redhead groans as he reaches up to silence his alarm, cracking an eye open to survey the room still shrouded in darkness, as the sun has yet to rise. 

upon turning over, he notices that demyx is gone. this prompts more confusion than it does panic, though axel suddenly feels very awake, quickly sitting up to look around the room once more, wondering if he had just overlooked the blonde with his tired eyes. still no trace of him, excluding the side of the bed he’d once occupied, still warm and a bit tousled, telling axel he had at least been there recently, and all of yesterday hadn’t been some kind of fever dream. 

yawning, he figures his new companion had simply become curious and wandered off to explore the house. he had mentioned being unable to sleep the night before, so perhaps he became restless. no big deal. axel figures he’d better find him, though, before he gets into something, or makes some kind of mess — if he hadn’t already, that is. 

exiting his bedroom, he hears the sound of soft voices; near to whispering to each other, but not quite. roxas and saix should definitely still be sleeping, a thought which compels axel to investigate, the redhead following the sound of the chatter down the hall, and eventually toward the staircase, where he notices light beaming up from the first floor. the bit of concern that had been present melts away when he recognizes roxas’ voice. 

“see? it’s not so hard, right?”

“maybe not for you — how do you do this every day, again?”

ah, there he is. axel leans over the landing to see past the wall blocking it off, and his eyes are met with his two friends, oblivious to the fact that he can hear, and now see, them. roxas is standing at the bottom of the stairs, still in his pajamas (winnie the pooh slippers and all), hands on his hips and back relatively straight, like he’s at attention in case something goes awry. demyx, on the other hand, has about three more steps until he reaches the bottom, his hands white with how tightly he grips the railing, though he looks to be keeping himself upright pretty efficiently. 

“oh, come on, demyx. babies can learn this stuff. and you’re doing great,” roxas ensures, a bit of amusement in his eyes, “come on down. we can do it a few more times before i have to start getting ready for school.”

axel smiles. for someone who didn’t seem all that thrilled about demyx moving in yesterday, roxas sure seems eager to help him figure things out. deep down, axel knew he would; roxas truly is a kindhearted person, even if he can be a little shit at times. that’s what makes him such a good friend. 

“isn’t it a little early for a walking lesson?” the eldest finally makes himself known, startling both roxas and demyx, the latter of which almost loses his balance. 

“not funny, jerkwad,” roxas pouts, talking over axel’s resulting laughter, “demyx actually woke me up a bit ago. he was in the bathroom running the faucet — you know my room is, like, right there.”

“the faucet?” axel asks, looking at demyx, who’s now made it safely to the foot of the stairs. 

“i thought the feeling of the water would help me sleep,” the merman explains, looking up at axel with his big, sea blue eyes, “i slept a little in your bed, but i was just too nervous. i wondered if the water would help me calm down a little.” 

“aah,” the redhead responds, leaning against the railing, “well, did it work?”

the merman sighs, shaking his head. “a little, but nowhere near enough. plus, it’s not like i can sleep in the bathtub every night, or anything — that’d _kill_ my back. but, roxas offered to help me with getting up and down the stairs, y’know, to tire me out so i’d have to sleep! and i think i’m getting the hang of it!” he beams, and axel’s smile spreads, reaching his sleepy eyes. yet, the blonde huffs soon thereafter, a thought visibly plaguing his mind. 

“going up is way less scary than going down, though ...”

“you’re tellin’ me,” axel laughs, eyes soft with fondness as he looks down at the two of them. “well, i’ll leave you guys to it for a bit. do you want me to walk you to school, roxas?”

the younger blonde hesitates. “actually … i changed my mind. i’m not going to school today.”

“uh, what?” the older male questions, cocking a brow. “you can’t just opt out of school, kiddo.”

roxas looks annoyed. “well, you heard demyx. he’s super anxious — he probably shouldn’t be left alone like this … look, it’s just one day. it’s friday, i don’t have any tests or anything, and i’ll just have hayner bring me anything i missed. can you just call me off? please?” 

axel’s eyes shift between demyx and roxas as he considers it. he and saix agreed when roxas first moved in that they’d make sure he stayed on top of his schoolwork and maintained good grades — and saix has been especially adamant about it, not wanting to compromise roxas’ future even the slightest bit — but it _is_ just one day. and roxas is right, demyx could use some company (or _supervision,_ more accurately put) until he gets used to being out of the water. 

it would also help ease axel’s mind a little while he’s on the clock, though he’ll probably still find himself worrying about demyx, regardless. 

he can only hope that saix will see things the same way. 

“alright, alright. i’ll call you off. but _you_ are responsible for explaining why you’re playing hooky to saix, not me.” 

the youngest smiles, seemingly relieved. “it’s not playing hooky if i have permission. and thanks, you’re the best.”

“yeah, yeah,” axel snorts, climbing back up the stairs to return to his room, “i’m gonna shower and head out early. the two of you better not burn this house down, you hear me?”

“this coming from the guy who once fell asleep with a cigarette in his hand?”

“ _quiet._ ”

♡

“what’s a cigarette?”

demyx’s voice makes axel jolt as the latter emerges from his own closet. maybe he deserved that, for scaring him and roxas earlier. 

“it’s like a … little stick, full of tobacco. which is a special dried leaf, basically. you light it on fire and it makes you feel good for a few minutes while completely obliterating your lungs, and leaving you craving another one.”

the blonde frowns, head canting to a side as he stands in the doorway, his hand braced on the frame for support. “that doesn’t sound good.”

“it’s not,” axel laughs, pulling on his shirt, “i stopped smoking a few months ago, after like six years. it was really stupid, i don’t know why i ever did it.”

“well, you did say it made you feel good,” says demyx, offering a little smile, “i hope your lungs are doing better now.”

“thanks. i haven’t had them looked at in a while, but based on how i feel lately, i’m sure they are,” the red-haired man laughs once more, sitting on the foot of his bed. he gestures for demyx to come near, which the other immediately obeys. though he hasn’t had a lot of practice walking, he’s doing a fair job, managing not to stumble too much, or fall over completely, even if his steps are still unsure and wobbly. but it’s a short distance, and soon he joins axel on the bed, resting his hands in his own lap. 

“i see you made it back up the stairs,” he praises, and demyx smiles proudly. 

“i went up and down a few more times, and i sure am tired — maybe now i’ll be able to get some sleep,” he giggles, and axel smiles at him a little wider. 

“for someone who doesn’t care about sports, roxas is a pretty good coach, huh? you know, i figured i’d be the one teaching you all this stuff, but it seems like he’s stolen my thunder.”

the blonde is giggling again, shaking his head. “maybe so … but i wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. i’m really excited to be learning so much, and to get to know the three of you more. i feel like we’re friends already.”

“good,” axel says, subconsciously resting a hand on demyx’s thigh, “we are. all of us. and you’re more than welcome here.”

the touch to his lap surprises demyx, even if the cotton pajama pants he’d borrowed from the other swallow most of the actual contact. he’s so used to having a tail there, but the soft fabric brushing against his soft ‘human’ skin and the warmth of axel’s hand is … so nice. it makes his face feel warm, and he knows he must be blushing, but he tries to ignore the funny feeling as he just smiles wide and joyful, placing his hand atop the other man’s, feeling even more of the intimate sensation. he can’t remember the last time he ever felt this close to someone, if it exists. “thank you. really, i can’t thank you enough.”

mild green eyes regard the blonde with such affection, if axel were able to see himself right now, he would be shell-shocked at the fact someone he’d virtually just met could pull such tenderness out of him. but something about demyx is so magnetic; he just wants to give the younger man every good thing in the world, and shield him from all of their bad counterparts. perhaps it had been fate that they met on the beach, even if demyx had been watching him for some time before that, willing to give up everything he’s ever known, every comfort he’s ever had, just to talk to him. just to discover the truth about humans, to reach his own conclusions.

it almost makes him sad. humanity really doesn’t deserve demyx. 

“you don’t have to thank me,” he finally says, tone light with affection, “it’s my pleasure. now, i gotta get ready to head into work — are you going to try to get a proper rest?”

the merman nods, a yawn following the motion, which axel finds amusing. “yeah, i think i tired myself out enough, trying to get used to these legs. oh! by the way, i really want to visit your work one day!.”

“really?” asks the older man, surprised by such a desire, “well, we don’t exactly have _‘bring your mermaid to work’_ day, but i’ll see when the boss wouldn’t mind a visitor in the office. people take tours sometimes, but you’ve gotta schedule ‘em.” he stands up, pulling back the comforter and patting the uncovered space. 

“ooooh,” demyx says, lying down almost automatically. his head meets the pillow, which axel fluffs a little, prior to pulling the covers up and over the merman’s body. “do you have a lot of friends where you work?”

axel hums, tucking demyx in nice and snug. “more or less. acquaintances, i would say. but yeah, we get along alright.” 

demyx makes a soft sound of acknowledgement, his eyes closing and breathing slowing considerably. he looks so peaceful, which causes the redhead’s lips to curve into a smile. he smooths back the younger’s hair, almost tempted to kiss his forehead — he even lingers for a moment, but ultimately decides against it, instead letting his hand brush through the surprisingly soft strands, thumb rubbing the close shave behind his ear. 

“sleep tight, demyx.”

♡

work goes by even slower than usual. saix had nearly killed him after finding out he let roxas skip school, but axel was able to talk him down over coffee and a simple explanation regarding their mutual concerns about demyx (without getting too deep into the mermaid part, considering the setting). their coworkers witnessed the entire spectacle (saix has never been afraid to let him have it in public, to the point where many of their colleagues thought they were a couple before axel desperately explained _that_ away), and larxene offered her usual snide commentary, while marluxia and luxord not-so-subtly snickered about it from the other side of the room. they all have things they need to be working on, but at least half of every work day is spent either taunting each other or entertaining the latest gossip around town.

before leaving home, axel had suggested that roxas and his friends take demyx shopping once the others get out of school, since he desperately needs clothes of his own. as cute as he looks wearing axel’s stuff, they can’t exactly share a closet, considering how different their measurements are. he’s at _least_ twelve centimeters taller than demyx, for starters. that, and demyx is actually closer to roxas’ age than he is axel’s, despite still being an adult. he’s a nice balance in the household, with saix and axel being almost twenty-four, roxas only being sixteen, and demyx rounding them out at nineteen.

axel knows roxas hates shopping, though, if how much he complains about olette, xion, and naminé dragging him and their other male friends along is anything to go by. but the younger agreed to go through with it, even if the mall is always packed on fridays. 

he was worried about it at first, but promptly recalled yesterday when he brought demyx home, and how the younger didn’t seem to mind the crowds of people hanging around downtown — and he was almost naked at the time. yeah, he’ll be alright. 

all the while, he’s officially passed the halfway point on the draft of his article, which is something worth celebrating, considering how much of a drag it’s been. marluxia invited him to the beach after work to get more pictures of what’s left the spill, as well as the crew, which honestly isn’t so bad, since they’d been down there together a handful of times to document the progress. axel’s pages of research are difficult to filter down into the four-page spread, but whatever had to be dropped before publishing could always be made up for with images. 

“how was it looking when you went yesterday?” the pink-haired man asks, sitting on the edge of axel’s desk. 

“hey, no butts on my desk, flower boy,” he scoffs, not removing his eyes from his computer screen. he processes the question, then, and sharp eyes dart toward the other man, who’s now standing before him, hand on his hip and the other holding a steaming mug of tea. “how’d you know i went yesterday?”

marluxia rolls his eyes. “i saw you, idiot. i was with the crew as we were heading out, but i guess you didn’t notice us, you were so busy brooding.”

“i was not _brooding,_ i was working,” he argues, going back to his draft, “you know, the same thing you should be doing right now.”

“oh, please,” the blue-eyed man jeers, taking a sip from his mug, “you’re one to talk about slacking off. and who was that guy you were carrying through town yesterday? did you finally get a boyfriend?” 

“that’s none of your business,” axel groans, leaning back in his chair, “you don’t have a boyfriend either, smartass.”

“you don’t know what i have,” marluxia quips, swirling around his teabag, “i _am_ seeing someone, actually. not that it’s any of your concern.”

“so you have every right to pry into my alleged love life, but i can’t know about yours. sounds fair,” axel’s syllables drag on sarcastically, earning him a frown from the other. 

“he’s a marine biologist i met while working with the crew,” says marluxia, feigning like he just wants to shut axel up, but the other journalist can tell he’d secretly wanted to gush about his new beau. “his name is vexen.”

“vexen? isn’t he, like, ancient?”

“he’s thirty-nine,” the pink-haired man scoffs, “he’s kind of boring, but i sort of like it.”

“yeah, makes you look interesting for once,” the green-eyed man laughs, though the other doesn’t find any amusement in it. 

“gods, you are such an asshole,” marluxia growls, “if this tea wasn’t expensive, i’d pour it all over your head.”

“since it was brought up, though,” larxene suddenly asks, voice high with interest while she spins around in her chair, “who _was_ that guy you were with, axel? he seemed pretty comfortable being carried around bridal style and half naked in public. and i haven’t seen him around before.”

the redhead sighs, eyes rolling theatrically as he cracks his gum, emphasizing his annoyance with his nosy coworkers. “he’s just a friend of mine, alright? new in town. he needed some help with something, i was doing him a favour. don’t you guys have better things to do than ask about my life? you know, like your jobs?” 

“sure, whatever,” she sneers, turning back around to face her computer, “i’ll remember this attitude next time you guys are all talking about me.”

after that, the deep-dive into axel’s alleged love life seems to cease. saix returns from a meeting and marluxia goes to chat luxord up, leaving axel to his work once more, though his mind admittedly goes right back to demyx. checking the clock, he wonders if the other is still asleep, or if he and roxas are up to some sort of shenanigans by now. either way, he hopes the merman is doing alright. 

♡

afternoon bleeds into evening, and soon enough, axel makes his way home. he isn’t necessarily expecting to find a hoard of teenagers in his living room, but he isn’t all that surprised, either. 

“well, i see my house is the venue for the afterparty, huh?” he laughs, closing the door behind him, “you guys are back already? i thought you’d be out longer.”

“you’re just home late,” roxas snickers, sitting up a little to see past everyone crowded on the couch. xion, naminé, olette, and demyx are squeezed onto the couch with him, while pence and hayner sit nearby on the floor. in demyx’s lap is roxas’ old guitar that he never plays anymore, and a colourful variety of shopping bags litters the surrounding area, telling axel he’d stumbled in on quite a scene. though saix is nowhere to be found, axel safely assumes he’s in his bedroom, working like he always is. 

“yeah, i got caught up with marluxia and the cleanup crew,” axel yawns, “have all of you been fed?” 

“yes, we ate at the mall,” answers xion, a timid smile on her face. by the way naminé leans comfortably on the other girl’s shoulder, the eldest can tell they’ve been here a while. 

“hi, axel!” demyx greets enthusiastically, the mere sound of his cheerful voice pulling the redhead from his thoughts immediately, “welcome home! we had tons of fun today!”

axel smiles tenderly at him, though before he can thank him for the warm greeting, olette’s voice cuts into the bit of silence. 

“you and roxas’ new friend is so cool, axel! he’s so sweet, and funny!” she pipes up, seemingly to the earnest agreement of everyone around her. she turns to face the oldest on the couch, addressing him directly, “we should definitely hang out together more often!”

the merman blushes, a flattered smile spreading along his lips as he nods. “i’d like that a lot! we totally should!”

“you know,” hayner starts, “there’s that concert we’re gonna go to next weekend, and we’ve still got that extra ticket. you should come, demyx!”

“i thought you sold that extra ticket,” roxas blinks, and hayner pats the blonde’s thigh from where he sits in front of him on the floor, making the blue-eyed boy flush a little. 

axel definitely notices. 

“i was gonna, but i forgot! finally my shitty memory comes in handy,” he laughs, and olette rolls her eyes. 

“don’t get used to that. anyway, what do you say, demyx?”

“yeah, of course!” chirps the addressed, his smile even wider now, “that sounds awesome, i can’t wait!”

the teens chatter among each other a little more, and axel watches gladly, relieved that things had evidently gone incredibly well for demyx. it makes sense that roxas’ friends would like him; anyone could like demyx, he practically glows with charisma and energy, not to disregard how objectively adorable he is. in hindsight, he’s not even sure what he was so worried about. 

“alright, kiddos,” axel starts, waving a hand to catch their attention, “i’m glad you all had such a good time, but it’s late, so maybe you guys should head on home before your parents start an investigation.”

“oh, right!” pence perks up, “my mom’ll kill me if i’m not home soon. c’mon guys, let’s head out. i am _not_ trying to get grounded again.”

slowly, the group starts to gather their stray belongings, and axel moves away from the door to let all of them out, as they cheerfully wave goodbye to roxas and demyx, and even him. hayner sticks around a little longer to talk with roxas, which he does often, and axel nosily deciphers most of their conversation. 

“you’re not busy tomorrow, are you?” the brunette asks, and roxas shakes his head. 

“no, why?”

“well, that new samurai movie you said you wanted to see is finally out …” he trails off, scratching at the back of his head, “i was wondering if you still wanted to go see it?”

roxas’ eyes widen. “oh, for sure! what time?”

hayner suddenly looks a lot more comfortable, a soft smile playing along his lips. “7:30. i’ll come get you around 6:45?”

“great!” says roxas, beaming, “i’ll see you guys then!”

“well, actually …” hayner clears his throat, “... it’s going to be just the two of us.”

“oh …” the blonde murmurs, looking surprised. something appears to click in his head. “ _oh!_ oh, yeah, cool. i’ll see _you_ then … then.”

hayner laughs, nodding his head. “perfect. later, roxas! bye, demyx! see you next weekend!”

“bye!” demyx waves as hayner rushes out, the teen offering a brief nod toward axel, who closes the door following his departure.

“finally, the teen-adult ratio around here is back to normal,” says axel, feigning a tone of relief. “so, i see things went really well, eh?”

roxas just stares at the door, seemingly dazed, before he quickly returns to reality, shaking his head. “what? oh, yeah, they went great. the guys really like demyx, which i mean, i knew they would. we got lots of clothes for him, too, thanks to your card,” he adds, offering said item between two fingers with a cheeky smile.

axel rolls his eyes, swiftly taking the plastic card back from roxas, “you didn’t put me in debt, did you?”

“we only went, like, a couple _dollars_ over budget, calm down,” roxas laughs, “xion was the one making sure we stayed on track, actually, so you have her to thank.” 

“i owe her my life,” axel agrees rather dramatically, sliding his card back into his wallet with a relieved sigh. his interests shift to the merman sitting surprisingly quietly on the sofa, strumming the instrument in his lap thoughtlessly. “dem, how was walking around?”

“oh, it was fine,” demyx answers with an easy smile, setting roxas’ guitar down beside the couch with care, “i only tripped twice! i think they just thought i was kind of clumsy. roxas said humans have ‘natural walking instincts’, which is why i can learn pretty quickly — you know, since i have that tiny bit of human dna.”

“makes sense,” axel chuckles, “wow, roxas, you are one smart cookie.”

“i just pay attention in biology,” roxas claims with an eye roll, though he smiles genuinely, “you should probably clean out your closet to make some space for all demyx’s new clothes, by the way.”

“yeah …” axel hums pensively, scratching at his chin, “i hadn’t thought about that until a bit ago. my closet’s pretty big, but i have a shitton of clothes, so it’ll be a tight fit regardless. but we’ll make it work. i’m just glad you’ve got your own stuff to wear, now. you gonna model it for me?” it’s a joke, but axel notices demyx’s face flush at the suggestion. funny, he doesn’t mind being stark naked around axel, but modeling clothes is apparently something to be shy about. 

“i’m a bit worn out from all the trying stuff on, actually,” demyx laughs, looking criminally cute with his warm cheeks and round eyes, “maybe another time. it was really nice of you to pay for everything, by the way. i hope i can make it up to you somehow.”

“aah, don’t worry about it. how a person dresses is one of the most important ways of expressing themself. you deserve to be able to wear clothes you’re comfortable in, that show people _you,_ y’know? you’re your own person, after all.” intense green eyes appear so mild as they look at demyx with a special kind of affection; one that makes warmth spread in the merman’s chest. 

roxas watches awkwardly, raising an eyebrow. “uhh, you guys done flirting, yet? or should i leave the room?”

axel’s eyes narrow, and demyx’s face turns red.

“we weren’t! i was just thanking him, he spent a lot on me!”

“like roxas has any room to talk, anyway,” axel chaffs, mussing the teen’s hair, “he’s been sitting here making eyes at hayner for god knows how long.”

a red-faced roxas sputters, hand clamping down on axel’s wrist to pull it away from his head, while the other two laugh good-humouredly, “i was _not_ making eyes at him! shut up, you weren’t even here!”

“i saw enough,” the older male teases, a sly smirk curving his lips as he seizes the upper hand. “c’mon, rox, you two literally have a date tomorrow. don’t you think it’s about time you quit acting like you’re just friends?”

demyx blinks curiously from the couch, and roxas just pouts, arms crossing over his chest indignantly. 

“nobody said it was a date, okay? and even if it is, which i didn’t say it is, friends can have dates. just mind your own business, asshole.” the blonde storms melodramatically to the other side of the couch, starting to gather some of the shopping bags. “c’mon, dem, lets take all this stuff upstairs.”

with an amused huff, axel watches the older blonde spring off the couch to help. 

“you should let me carry most of ‘em. they’re my clothes, after all.”

“nah, it’s whatever. i’ll let you and axel figure out how to organize it on your own time, though. i haven’t even cleaned out my _own_ closet.”

their chatter carries up the staircase, leaving the redhead alone in the living room. he sighs, straightening out the couch a little before heading into the kitchen to find that saix had thoughtfully saved a portion of dinner for him. 

♡

“you should be done with that, by now.”

green eyes dart up from the laptop screen to meet saix’s calm gaze, and axel only hums, fingertips returning to their quick taps along his keyboard. he’s in the kitchen, seated at the counter while the morning light beams in from the tall windows, offering a comforting ambience as he works. “i basically am,” axel tells him, half-listening to the muted sounds of saix moving about the kitchen and going into the cupboards, “just have to flesh out a conclusion, triple check all my research, have you proofread again, and i’m home free.”

an amused breath escapes the blue-haired man, the strong smell of coffee wafting from where he pours it at the other corner of the kitchen. “all you’ve done since you’ve started this assignment is complain.”

“are _you_ trying to call _me_ out for complaining?” axel asks incredulously, turning his head to look at his longtime friend, “come on, sai, you invented complaining.”

“maybe so,” says the barely older man, setting his mug down across from the other and leaning over the marble countertop, “but if that’s the case, it’s just standard practice for me. you, on the other hand, are always going on and on about living in the moment and looking on the bright side. it’s amusing to me, is all.” he takes a long sip of his coffee, a pleased sigh leaving him as he finishes. “besides, haven’t you benefited a lot from this assignment? ansem hasn’t tasked you with much else since you took it on, you and marluxia basically get paid to do nothing at the beach, and it’s the only reason you met demyx.”

well, when it’s laid out that way, axel supposes there isn’t really all that much to complain about. saix has a very annoying tendency to be right. he’s had it for years. 

“even with all that stuff, it hasn’t made writing this damn thing any less boring and stressful. i’m tempted to throw a party when it’s over.”

“i’m sure you are,” says saix, stirring his coffee and nonchalantly diving into a new topic. “when are you going to have a talk with demyx?”

axel’s eyes widen. “a talk? about what?”

“it’s been over a week,” the blue-haired man prefaces, interrupting his own thoughts with another sip of his warm beverage before addressing his friend again, “don’t you think it’s time you admitted your feelings for him?”

wide eyes widen even _more,_ and axel sits back in his chair, as though what had been said to him had knocked the wind from his lungs, “are you for real? it’s not like that, we just —”

“axel,” saix cuts him off before he can start his stammering in denial, “weren’t you just teasing roxas recently about denying his feelings for hayner? you shouldn’t be a hypocrite. it’s exceedingly obvious you’re incredibly _fond_ of demyx. you look at him as though he hung the moon in the sky.”

the redhead is quiet for a few moments, eyes low as he thinks about saix’s words. he hadn’t even realized the way he feels about demyx could have potentially crossed into romantic territory — sure, he thinks the blonde is the most adorable thing in the world, and yes, there’s no denying that demyx is very attractive … but that doesn’t mean it’s anything beyond that, right? surely he’s self-aware enough to realize —

“axel. you haven’t looked at anyone like that since we were together. and you know it.”

green eyes dart up to meet his best friend’s gaze, and saix is smiling, looking rather amused with his surprisingly soft eyes and the plush curve of his lips. 

“in fact, i don’t even think you looked at _me_ the same way you look at demyx.”

“oh, sai, don’t say that,” axel starts, eyes sagging a little, “you know just as much as i do that we were in love.”

“i do know that. it’s not something i said to garner pity, or to make you feel bad,” a thoughtful sip, “rather, i’m just pointing out the truth. our relationship ended for a reason, even as much as we loved each other. we established that years ago. but i can recognize that look in your eye, even the way you talk when you’re in love, and better than you can. you ought to tell demyx about your feelings.” 

“well, i …” any excuse or attempt to explain this away that he was going to make is swallowed by the sudden tenderness in his chest, and the ache in his throat telling him that saix is right. he doesn’t know if what he feels for demyx is full-on _love,_ but it’s in that neighborhood, and the longer these feelings develop, the more certain they are to become something much bigger, and much harder to deny. but he can’t be sure that demyx feels the same way — he seems to be equally as soft and excitable with everyone he talks to; there’s hardly anything that sets axel apart from them, based on his own observations. he and saix decided to end their romantic relationship years ago, before they even finished college, and since then, he hadn’t even given romance a thought, as no one and nothing really appealed to him that way. 

but demyx was different. from the day he met demyx, he could sense there was something special about him. he’d just managed to convince himself that it was only the tail. 

“i dunno, i mean … i’m not really sure what those _feelings_ are, yet, and i don’t wanna get in a big mess,” he finally offers, finger rubbing mindlessly along the smooth surface of his mousepad, “i don’t want to overwhelm him either. it’s only been a week. he’s still experiencing a lot of new things and new emotions, and — we’re … not even sure if he’s gonna stay, yet. he can’t go home right now, but his people might take him back, and he might want to go, y’know? i can’t get in the way of that.”

saix sets his mug down, eyes baring into axel like they tend to when he’s psychoanalyzing him. the redhead pouts under his gaze, and saix laughs softly. 

“i understand your concerns. mainly, i just want you to be happy. demyx’s happiness and comfort is very important, but don’t forget about your own, either. besides … demyx seems very content here. i’m sure he misses home, but he hasn’t mentioned wanting to go back even once. but i suppose only time will tell on that one.” a pause, prior to mild eyes regarding axel once again, silently telling him he may not like what the blue-haired man is planning to say next. 

“what will you do, if he ends up going back?”

axel’s eyes focus on his keyboard, though his fingers aren’t moving. groomed brows settle over their subtle ridge, and a morose breath gusts out of him. “i don’t know. i’m hoping i don’t ever have to find out. but one thing’s for sure; i’m not going to try to stop him. who would i be to try to keep him here against his will …?”

the tanner man remains wordless for a few moments, able to feel the depth of axel’s emotions when it comes to demyx’s situation. he can tell it’s not the first time the redhead has thought about this, though it appears he’s been trying to suppress it. unsurprising. 

“just remember that a person’s home isn’t always the place they were born.”

looking up, axel’s eyes have doubled in width as he watches saix place his mug in the sink, and head for the stairs. 

♡

“i was wondering where you were.”

the soft voice catches axel off guard, the redhead turning from where he’d been leaning on the patio railing. emerging from the kitchen’s sliding doors is demyx, looking happily disheveled — presumably from his night out with roxas’ friends. 

“oh, you’re back,” the older man greets with a warm smile, motioning for the other to join him. “how was the concert?”

“it was amazing,” demyx murmurs, lips spread in a smile that makes axel believe it, “the band that played was so good, and dancing with roxas’ friends was so fun! there was even a glitter canon!”

the taller man laughs, having noticed the few sparkly particles clinging to demyx’s clothes and hair. “sounds like a riot. i’m glad you had fun. roxas go to bed?”

a nod. “he said he had a school project to work on tomorrow with hayner and xion, so he went to get some rest. i think saix is in bed, too.”

“yeah, he usually goes to bed around 10:30. he’s an old man. plus, he’s got errands to run tomorrow, so, you know. old man stuff.”

demyx laughs and leans on axel’s shoulder, his big blue eyes looking out into the endless starry sky. “i thought you two were the same age.”

“we are, pretty much. he’s only a few months older. but he’s already got the old man attitude, i’m not quite there yet.” an arm wraps around demyx’s shoulder, making the younger man curl into the touch, pressing into axel more. the redhead can’t deny the way his heart swells at the contact. 

“what about you?” the blonde asks, after a brief stretch of comfortable silence, “will you be busy tomorrow?”

axel sighs, nodding his head. “yeah, i’ve got to stop by the lab, even though it’s sunday and i shouldn’t be working. i need to have vexen look over my research one last time before i send my article to print, just so i can be sure everything’s right.” 

“sounds _riveting_ ,” demyx teases, pulling his gaze away from the stars to glance at axel cheekily, “i know you haven’t exactly been having loads of fun writing that article, or anything, but i think it’s really cool. keeping the ocean clean is really important.”

“yeah,” axel agrees, voice somewhat hushed, “most civilians agree. but it’s the big corporations … they only really care about money. the planet could be on fire and they wouldn’t be bothered, so long as they could sell people stuff to put it out,” a bitter chuckle follows the claim, green eyes finding aquamarine as demyx is still looking at him. “no wonder you guys hate humans so much.”

that earns him a sweet giggle, clear blue eyes crinkling at their corners as the merman smiles up at him. “well, after they read your article, maybe they’ll change their minds.”

“i doubt it … it’s more so just to put them on blast, so they can’t cover their asses anymore. but, you know. whatever works.” 

more laughter spills out of demyx, the younger man throwing his head back onto axel’s shoulder. “right, whatever works.”

axel grins, leaning down to rest his chin in the crook of demyx’s neck. “you’re giggly tonight.”

“you’re just really funny!” the younger answers, the starlit sky reflecting in his eyes. 

a flattered hum, and axel finds himself leaning closer, his face coming nearer and nearer to demyx’s own. “say, demyx …”

“hmm?” the blonde purrs, lazy lids curtaining his gaze as he realizes just how close axel is. but it doesn’t feel wrong at all; no one had ever been this close to him, but demyx is comfortable. if only it were possible for the other to be even _closer._

a soft breath, silence settling between them while their eyes do most of the talking. saix’s words echo in the back of axel’s mind, and he bites into his lower lip, before words finally come to him, though it is debatable whether or not they’re actually the ones he wants to say. “you should … come with me to vexen’s tomorrow,” he nuzzles along demyx’s temple, feeling the way the other man’s core expands and contracts as he breathes in his arms. he doesn’t remember when his arms came around demyx’s waist in such a way, but neither of them are complaining about it. “he’s a marine biologist,” axel continues, “so maybe you can ask him some questions about how humans see your world.”

“mmm,” demyx thrums, eyes averting for a moment before they find axel’s again, “you don’t think he’d get annoyed?”

“nah, he’s way too eager to talk about that kind of stuff. he’d love it,” the redhead snickers. “i’m the one that’d be bored as hell, but with you there, it at least wouldn’t be torture.”

“okay, okay,” demyx agrees, teeth grazing his own lower lip as he fights a smile (and loses miserably), “i _am_ really curious. and you’re very persuasive,” a giggle, before demyx’s eyes turn back to the heavens. “you think he believes in merpeople?”

a bit of relief evens out axel’s shoulders, glad that demyx wouldn’t mind accompanying him on his less-than-exciting expedition. it’s certainly a better alternative to leaving him in an empty house on a sunday morning. “dunno, he’s one of those esteemed science guys, so even if he does, i doubt he’d talk about it.” he gets yet another laugh out of his friend, and axel’s own gaze turns to the sky, admiring the glimmering stars like he’d been before demyx joined him. but somehow, the sky looks even more beautiful, now that he’s here. 

“we can’t see the sky from the ocean,” says demyx, soft voice drifting through what had once been pleasant silence. 

“huh,” axel murmurs, tracing the invisible lines connecting the stars with his eyes, “i guess you can’t. never really thought about it … then again, i didn’t think mermaids were real until like, a week ago.”

demyx smiles. “the water above reflects the sky, so it’s not too far off, but … it’s always dark, for one thing. we have lights down there, and our eyes are made to see in the dark, sure, but … i could only ever experience sunshine on the surface. it’s so beautiful, and warm … and i’ve never seen stars like this. i’ve only seen pictures … they’re gorgeous. i can’t believe i’ve been missing out on this my whole life.”

at some point during demyx’s spiel, axel’s attention had turned to him, rather than the sky. he can’t even remember his first starry night — he had experienced so many, and taken them all for granted. but demyx appreciates every single star in the endless sky above them, so captivated by their mere existence, the way they gather in the heavens, lightyears away from where they are. it makes him so much more appreciative of it. perhaps he’ll never look at the stars the same way again, now. perhaps he’ll always see them the way they look so dazzling, reflected in demyx’s eyes. 

“as long as you’re here, you can see the stars as much as you want. they’re almost always out around here,” axel tells him, and watches as the blonde’s lips curve into a sweet smile. he can’t help but mirror it. “plus, i’m sure you’ve got loads of cool stuff in the ocean that i’ll never get to see.” 

“nothing like this,” demyx tells him, still smiling in awe, “not in my opinion, anyway. i love the water, it’ll always feel like home to me. but i can appreciate the water from here, too. i don’t want to miss out on this anymore.”

that word, _home,_ projects in axel’s brain, tugging at something in his heart. he doesn’t speak on it, though, instead just humming in acknowledgement of the merman’s words, holding him close.

they stay there for a few more blissful moments, demyx wrapped up in axel’s arms, feeling soft and warm despite the cold night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i decided to go with 4 chaps instead of 3, i think it'll round this story out better and avoid a pacing issue i was worried abt encountering
> 
> anyway i love these two, they are so sweet and soft, and demyx is so happy!!! .... or is he ? :eyes:
> 
> thanks so much 4 reading babes!!! see u in the next chapter!!! ♡

**Author's Note:**

> hi i hoped u liked this thank u 4 reading
> 
> u can [bother me on twitter](https://twitter.com/rishoetto) if u want too


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